Q&A with Mizuno Brand Building Specialist, Andrew Douglas

By: Karen Karnis

Meet Andrew Douglas, a Brand Building Specialist for central Canada, covering the Eastern part of BC through to Winnipeg. We sat down to get to know a bit about the 23 year old native of Sarnia, ON, and here’s what we learned.

What is your educational and career background, before working for Mizuno?

I graduated from McMaster University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. While in school, and for almost a year after graduating, I worked at a running store called The Runner’s Den.

How did you become a Brand Building Specialist for Mizuno?

I ran varsity cross-country and track and field for McMaster and always found the most comfort in Mizuno shoes. My time at the Runner’s Den educated me about the brand and only increased my enthusiasm for the products. I would often get to chat with the local sales rep, Arnold Tse, in the store and he was the one that informed me of the Brand Building Specialist opportunity.

What do you do, exactly?

I do whatever my colleagues and I feel is necessary to increase awareness and knowledge about the brand, thereby promoting better sell through with our retailers. This often includes setting up a display booth at races or other key events, giving presentations about the technical aspects of our products, doing shoe demos with local run groups, or even just frequenting our accounts and helping out in any way I can (i.e. helping with sales, merchandising, stock counts, chatting with staff, etc.).

What are the benefits of being able to visit stores for Product Knowledge (PK) sessions?

Since Mizuno products are highly technical, if the staff are not comfortable with explaining the story to consumers then our stuff gets neglected. There is certainly a correlation between product knowledge and sales. When I return to a store after a PK session I see more confident staff, which leads to better sales through over time.

What is the best part of your job?

This job is great for so many reasons. I love the flexibility of my schedule, the travel, the people and the products.

What are your favourite Mizuno shoes?

The Wave Elixir has been in my arsenal for the longest. However, I recently ran in our new Wave Sayonara and I think it will be the winner. I also like my Ascends when I’m in the Rockies.

What up-and-coming shoes/apparel/technology are you most excited about?

I am most excited for the next instalment in our Wave Evo series – the Ferrus. My main running passion since I’ve moved to Alberta has been trail running in Banff and the surrounding area. The design of the Ferrus looks perfect for this environment. I feel like it will just disappear from my foot.

How old were you when you started running? How did you get into it?

I started running when I was in grade 3. I went out for my school’s cross-country team and have been hooked ever since.

What are your goals?

I got my fix of high-level competition in high school and University. As of now I am just looking to stay fit and run because I love the feeling it gives me. I don’t have any particular race goals at this point.

Quirky Andrew-Douglas-Facts?

I was in a folk band with the other Mizuno Brand Building Specialist, Larry Abbott.